


Practical Decisions

by littlemaple



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Human, M/M, They are Both Dorks, USUK - Freeform, betrothed princes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-27 21:17:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10816932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlemaple/pseuds/littlemaple
Summary: For practical and political reasons, Arthur and Alfred are betrothed.





	Practical Decisions

**Author's Note:**

> hello! this was supposed to be a drabble but i got carried away, ops! i posted it on tumblr (not-aph-england.tumblr.com/post/160283058961) , but decided to post it here as well because why not! this was based off a prompt by @mayumisatosan on tumblr (Mayumi Sato here on ao3 <3)

The agreement was made before Arthur was even born.

It was a political decision made between neighbor Kingdoms that were tired of fighting over a small piece of land that at some point both of them claimed to be theirs. So it was decided that the land would become their official trading point. And to unite the land it was agreed they should unite their families also, and that was where Arthur came in. He was to marry the second alpha in line for the throne of the Fenix Kingdom, and they’d move to the newly created Trading City of Qensport and they’d administrate it.  And as long as they did it right, the Fenix and Rosal Kingdoms would live in peace with each other.

Arthur was basically born for that. The Queen gave birth to an alpha girl and a beta boy before he, an omega, was finally born. And by that time his fiancé was already four years old.

Arthur grew up with his entire life planned in front of him. He didn’t have much to look forward to. He was going to study, he was going to marry an alpha named Alfred, he was going to administrate Qensport with Alfred, he was going to give Alfred children so they’d serve the Kingdoms as well, and then if he was lucky he was going to die peacefully when he was old.

It was a good life, he’d tell himself. Qensport would offer him challenges to deal it, the castle he’d be living in was small, but had a stunning view to the ocean and he could arrange for it to have beautiful gardens as well. And he’d have his hobbies: reading, embroidery, fencing and horse riding and he’d have his fairies, too, because they’d move with him.

Not even Alfred was something that gave him too much anxiety. He knew that the chances of him being a terrible husband and mate or just someone he just didn’t get along with were very, very high, but he tried to avoid thinking about it.

He could have a separated room and only talk to Alfred about what was necessary, such as their work and heats.

It was a good life.

Right…?

* * *

He first met Alfred when he was fourteen and Alfred was eighteen.

Arthur was so small and skinny and he hardly ever saw new faces that Alfred seemed like a god to him. He was tall, strong, handsome and cool. He had a different, carefree accent and his scent was strong and new and good.

He was very handsome, his messy sand-blond hair making up for the pimples on his forehead, but…

“Please, mother, let my tie be. It’s already in place.” Arthur mumbled with a pout while the Queen tried once again to fix his tie.

“You need to be well presented at all times, Arthur.” His mother said.

“It’s all right, your Majesty,” Alfred said, chuckling from the other couch, “Let the child be. In a couple minutes the tie will be undone again. That’s how it is with children.”

… he had a terrible, terrible personality.

“Excuse me, I’m not a child anymore!” Arthur replied with a childishly angry expression, which just made Alfred chuckle even more.

“Yes, right. You are just a very young adult. My bad.”

Arthur blushed, angry and disappointed.

Alfred stayed there for a few more days before returning home, and during his time in the castle Arthur avoided him as much as he could, using his studies as an excuse. When Alfred playfully offered to “tutor” him, Arthur pretended to be sick, which seemed to work much better.

When Alfred left the King suggested Arthur to start writing to him. Although “forced” was a much more accurate word to describe it.

So Arthur sat down with his best pen and the fanciest paper he could find and wrote in the more childish calligraphy he could manage,

“ _My dear Alfred,_

_Call me a child all you want. You are going to marry me, so you will have to learn to deal with it._

_Love,_

_Arthur._ ”

Looking back, it wasn’t at all a smart thing to send, but Arthur was angry at Alfred and angry at his father for forcing him to write to him, so he did.

The next month he received an answer. It was shorter than the note he had sent, and said simply,

“ _I hope you can bring your babysitter to Qensport, because I won’t have time to babysit you._ ”

After that Arthur never wrote to him again.

* * *

The next time they met was for Arthur’s eighteenth birthday.

Arthur was not at all excited to see Alfred again, for he still had very strong memories of their first meeting. He was glad Alfred was good-looking, but he deeply wished Alfred had a good personality instead.

For the past four years he had learned all he could learn about his own type both by books and by experience as his heats had started when he was fifteen. And thinking about heats made him sad and lonely, because he remembered Alfred as having a terrible personality and definitely not the kind of person Arthur wanted to have with him on his nest or bed or side.

Arthur started to dread having to marry someone whom he did not love and whom he would probably never love, but what could he do?

It was still a good life, even if it lacked love.

His body had matured in the last four years – he was taller now, and not as skinny. He didn’t see himself as a desirable person, but his mother would always smile proudly while holding his face in her hands, so he thought he was okay.

Alfred wouldn’t see him as a child anymore, but Arthur was sure he was going to find something else to mock. He tried not to care about it.

The coming of age ceremony would take place in the evening, so Arthur went to the gardens to avoid the maids and their worrying and last minute clothing adjustments, and there he saw a familiar face.

Alfred was reading, so he didn’t see Arthur right away. He was wearing glasses now, which gave him an even more mature look and sent Arthur’s heart racing.

Arthur gasped when he saw Alfred was reading one of his favorite fiction books. It was about a princess who rescued a baby dragon and raised it secretly in her castle’s dungeons. It was funny and smart and touching and Arthur absolutely loved it. To see Alfred reading it with such interest…

Alfred looked at him, then, and he seemed to froze in place. Arthur blushed in confusion and straightened the scarf around his neck to make sure Alfred would not sniff his feelings.

“What?” Arthur was the first to speak, “Did you lost something in my face? You certainly are not going to find my babysitters in it.” He rolled his eyes with sarcasm, and it seemed to get Alfred’s attention.

“You still need those, then? Have you only grown in the outside?” Alfred replied with a small smirk. Arthur huffed.

“It was a joke, obviously.” Arthur said, “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in your quarters?”

“I could ask you the same question.” Alfred shoot back.

“Yes, but I live here. I can come and go whenever I want.”

Alfred nodded at that.

“Well, if you must know, I had to run from my father because he wouldn’t leave me alone. He desperately wants me to court you.” he explained with a sigh and closed his book. Arthur noticed he was already halfway through it.

“What?” Arthur blinked, “Why… why would you do that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? He wants us to get along so the Trading City will be a success. It seems the Duke who’s taking care of it is not, you know, taking care of it. To be honest he has been pestering me ever since we didn’t kept writing each other” he rolled his eyes and Arthur nodded,

“I understand. Still… you don’t need to do it. I don’t intend to let our personal relationship get in the way of our work.” he answered thoughtfully.

“Yeah, same. But you know, having a good relationship would help.” Alfred shrugged.

Arthur nodded.

“He was also pestering me about the Engagement announcement thing. We need to make it official tonight, during the ball.” Alfred added, looking from Arthur to the book in his hands.

“Yes, I’m aware of that.”

“And he says I need to make a speech.” Alfred frowned, “Why can’t I just say, you know, ‘hey, as you all know we’re getting married next fall and all, see you there’?”

That was so absurd that Arthur ended up chuckling a bit.

“Please do not say that.” Arthur asked,

“Why not? That’s so much practical. It’s not as if they don’t know about the wedding already.”

“Sometimes things aren’t supposed to be practical. It… gives them more meaning?” Arthur said, not too sure about his own words.

“Tradiction and stuff.” Alfred nodded with a sigh, “Why can’t things just be practical like… in this book, the girl tells everyone she has a dragon pet and everyone says well, weird, but ok. And that’s it. So practical!”

“Well, that’s not really what…” Arthur started but quickly covered his mouth with his hands as Alfred’s eyes widened,

“Oh,  _no_!” Alfred cried, “I can’t believe! Are they going to try to do something to the dragon?!” Alfred asked, and when Arthur opened his mouth to reply, he yelled, “No!” and then quieter, “No, don’t! I don’t want to know!” he looked at the book with a disappointed look that Arthur found to be very… cute.

“You read this, then?” Alfred asked Arthur with a new found interest.

“Yes, it’s my favorite book!” Arthur answered with an honest smile.

“Huh.” Alfred said, and then got up and walked towards Arthur, “Well, good to know. I’ll be heading back to my quarters to think of a speech.” he informed.

“Alright.” Arthur said.

Instead of just walking and leaving, however, Alfred then took Arthur’s hand, squeezed it lightly and pressed his lips against it. Arthur was astonished, and he just stared at Alfred.

“I don’t need to count you, but maybe I should.” he thought to himself and to inform Arthur as well, “It will be a lot of work, but I think it’ll be worth it.” he smiled.

“It… will give it more meaning…?” Arthur repeated because it felt appropriated. He was a bit lost, his chest full of something warm and expectant.

Alfred winked and left.

Arthur sat down, holding his hand Alfred had kissed.

Maybe… he was wrong about Alfred’s personality. It didn’t seem that bad now. Maybe he’d changed or maybe he wasn’t that bad to begin with.

And it was good. It was good to know that perhaps they were going to get along just fine after all.

It’d be a good life.

Arthur was looking forward to it.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! if you liked this pleaseee let me know. it'd mean a lot to me! :') thank you <3


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